On 20 Dec, 16:41, Martin Smith wrote:

Mizter T wrote:

And more to the point how much of the bus network's budget will get
swallowed by this project? The bus service in London has got better by
leaps and bounds over the past ten years - far more reliable, frequent
and faster services providing a far greater capacity with attractively
low fares has led to a great increase in passenger numbers. If this
'new Routemaster' project means there'll be less money around for the
bread-and-butter of the bus network then all the gains made over the
past few years will be in vain. I really hope Boris understands that.

I doubt whether he understands it in the way we, as persons using public
transport regularly, see it. Remember he did classics, it is possible that
he sees himself as Caius Boris, saviour of the people of Londinium, possibly
soon to be elected emperor (or tyrant) of the entire universe by popular
demand.
Personally I think he is more likely to be equated with one Biggus Dickus of
mythical times past.


Ho ho!

I'm in no doubt that he's very ambitious and sees the Mayoralty as but
a stepping stone to bigger and better things - bear in mind that never
before has a UK politician been directly elected on such a large
popular vote as he was. I remember his sister, the columnist and
writer Rachel Johnson, being interviewed on the radio the night of his
win - she was of course singing his praises but also spoke very
unguardedly of her certainty that being Mayor was but a juncture in
the ongoing and inevitable ascent of Boris.

I think it should be borne in mind that Boris is playing to a national
audience, not just a London one - and thus one should look at what he
does on the Mayoral stage in this context. Obviously this isn't going
to apply to everything he does as Mayor, but it will to the high-
profile stuff that gets national coverage - indeed it's likely that
the aforementioned stuff will become high-profile and get national
coverage because Boris and his people desire this to be the case.

So I'm sure he thinks that if he can somehow resurrect the Routemaster
this will be another thing on which his reputation as a rare
politician 'who actually does what he says' can hang. The thing is
ditching the western extension of the congestion charge is one thing -
it's easy to cancel something - but actually making something like the
new Routemaster happen is a rather different story. I reckon sure he
thinks he can somehow do it, and thus create for himself the legend of
the politician who 'saved London's bus'. I just hope he realises that
he also has the power to ruin London's bus service as well - but
perhaps the ongoing day-to-day success of this is of less interest to
him than the far more tangible resurrection of an icon. At what cost,
Boris?